know rick disputes this and the president disputes this but according to a totally nonpartisan group, u.s. energy information administration, total oil, gas and coal production in public areas plunged from 18 quad drillen btu -- excuse me, 21 billion btu to 18. that's a big drop, a 15% drop. we've seen less oil, coal, and gas production on public lands. >> maybe so but i would also say that's irrelevant. the problem with this discussion is we're talking about a national energy policy. we don't have a national shoe policy or national computer policy or national policy for breakfast cereal but we get all three with ease. we're awash in oil around the world. oil is expensive because the dollar is cheap. even if every oil producer in the world embargoed us, let's get out of national policy and let markets work. >> if we let markets work will gas prices come down? >> the problem is we're dependented on the middle east for oil. and president obama is a president of the united states, not the the of opec. in that case, he doesn't have much control over oil prices. and i have to agree with rick o